Content
- why the cat scratches the furniture
- the needs of cats
- When is scratching a problem?
- What to do so the cat does not scratch the sofa and other furniture
You usually catch the cat scratching the sofa? One of the problems that is always mentioned when talking about cats is the use of their nails, the destructive effect they can have, especially on furniture, and how this damage can be avoided.
In this article by PeritoAnimal we will talk about what to do so the cat doesn't scratch the furniture, especially the sofa, but we will also explain the origin of this behavior, how it can be corrected and what environment we must provide our cat so that all its biological needs are satisfied. Good reading.
why the cat scratches the furniture
Before giving tips on what to do to keep the cat from scratching furniture, especially the sofa, we need to know what causes this behavior. For that, we need to think about the cat's habits as a species and review its biological behaviors.
Cats are predatory and carnivorous animals that generally live independently over a more or less extensive territory. To hunt, they need to maintain an elastic, agile and fast body, in which the nails play a very important role. In addition to food, cats must mark your territory, a task for which they use the emission of substances, pheromones, which, although they cannot be detected by the human nose, play a crucial role in communication between cats.
These substances are used to mark the territorial boundaries of cats, as well as the marks left by claws when scratching. So, cats leave visible and odorous marks in certain places of strategic importance to them from their pads and during the scratching mechanism.In addition, when scratching, they remove part of their already worn nails and it is not uncommon to find them in their favorite places to scratch and, therefore, it is common to find the cat scratching the sofa.
Although the cat has become our indoor companion, the biological behaviors we explain will carry over from the natural environment to our homes. Therefore, it is essential to know that cats don't scratch furniture to annoy us, but that they are responding to your communication needs.
the needs of cats
The cats we choose as companions, even indoors, must be able to express and develop their biological needs. So, in addition to having food and water according to your needs and adequate veterinary care that includes an internal and external deworming schedule and vaccinations, we must include an ideal environment. where the cat can climb, rest, play and, of course, score, because for him, as we have seen, it is an important form of communication.
The feline will relate to us, but also to other animals with which it lives at home, using its pheromones. if we watch the cat when he rubs against us, we'll see that he does this starting at the sides of his face, continuing along the sides and ending at the base of his tail. We will note that it repeats the same pattern over and over and does so because it releases calming pheromones from these areas while mixing their scent with ours. This is a sign of trust, a sign of love towards us, but it can also be a way to get our attention and even to mark us as part of their territory.
If we caress him back, our feline companion will likely purr. Some also drool and start making up and down movements with their paws, stretching and curling their fingers as if they were kneading. This behavior is reminiscent of the breastfeeding stage, in which they make these movements on the mother's abdomen while breastfeeding, stimulating the release of milk.
Within territorial behavior, we will see that the cat rubs its face against different objects, marking them with its scent. When this marking is done with your nails in places that we humans do not consider appropriate, problems arise and the need to modify this behavior arises. With that in mind, let's look at some tips on what to do so the cat doesn't scratch the sofa and other furniture in the house, such as curtains, rugs or any other accessory that we do not want to damage.
When is scratching a problem?
We explain that scratching with your nails is a completely normal feline behavior and that it also fulfills an important communicative function, but sometimes these scratches express a problem that goes beyond the possibility of damaging furniture. In these cases, we will see that the cat scratches in different places, often near windows or doors, urinates or defecates outside the litter box, hides, stops eating or does so in smaller quantities, etc.
If we notice any of these changes in our cat, the first thing we should do is contact a veterinarian to rule out any health problems. If the cat is healthy, you are more likely to suffer from stress, whose cause must be determined, which could be due to poor adaptation, boredom, changes in the environment, the arrival of new family members, etc. The solution for stress marking will depend on the cause, hence the importance of correctly diagnosing it, for which we can seek advice from a professional in feline behavior, which may be a specialized veterinarian or an ethologist.
While we can contribute to solving the problem by following tricks to prevent our cat from scratching furniture or urinating outside the litter box, it's important not to lose sight of the fact that the cat is having a bad time, and how he doesn't know how. speaking, demonstrates with this type of behavior that it can be resolved. Therefore, we do not indicate that you cut his nails. In addition to causing unnecessary pain, it seriously affects the cat's personality and behavior, which all healthy cats should be able to do, as well as causing physical repercussions.
In the following section, we'll show you how to keep your cat from scratching the sofa and other furniture.
What to do so the cat does not scratch the sofa and other furniture
So, after all, how can the cat not scratch the sofa and other furniture? It's important to take the advice of a professional who specializes in feline behavior and carefully observe the routines our cat follows every day as he tries to determine the trigger of the felines. behaviors we want to change.
An essential aspect, which undoubtedly contributes to the cat's happiness and therefore to reduce its stress levels, is the environmental enrichment, which consists in offering our cat an environment, even if it is inside an apartment, in which he can develop like a feline, with places to climb, jump, hide, rest or play. Even in smaller homes, it is possible to create attractive surroundings simply by arranging shelves or furniture in such a way that the cat can move up and down as it pleases.
Other essential elements are the scratchers. There are all kinds of models on the market, in different sizes and heights, from the most sophisticated to the simplest, which only consist of a vertical pole on a support. If we live with more than one cat, it is advisable that each cat has its own scraper, which we could make out of wood and rope if we are skillful. Massage centers, hammocks, toys of all kinds and igloo beds are also available for sale and make great hiding places. And don't forget home entertainment alternatives like cardboard boxes, cardboard balls, rope, etc., etc.
In addition to environmental enrichment, we can follow the following recommendations or tricks so that our cat does not scratch the sofa and other furniture or urinate in inappropriate places due to stress:
- If we see the cat performing some "forbidden" action, we can try to say "no" to it firmly, without screaming. we shouldn't punish him or, much less, hit him in any case.
- The cat will be interested in marking our scent, so it is advisable put on an old shirt our or any other fabric used by us in your scraper to encourage you to scratch there.
- We should put scratchers on your favorite areas, where we see them scratching, or in their resting places, as they tend to scratch as soon as they wake up and stretch.
- If the cat has already scratched a piece of furniture or carpet, we can, as far as possible, move it and put the scratcher in its place. The same applies if the cat always urinates or defecates in the same place and we have the possibility of put the sandbox there.
- They exist products on the market that encourage scratching and help to redirect behavior. They work with pheromones and visual cues so that, when you apply them at the scratching post, they entice the cat to scratch there.
- There are also pheromones in a diffuser or spray that are used to calm the cat when the marking is caused by stress and are used in the environment or at specific points.
- As for the litter box, it is recommended to have as many cats as there are in the house plus one. It should be kept clean, in a quiet place and with the litter that the cat likes most.
Now that you've seen what to do to keep the cat from scratching the sofa and other furniture, you might be interested in this other article where we show you how to make a homemade cat scratcher.
If you want to read more articles similar to What to do for the cat not to scratch the furniture, we recommend that you enter our Behavior Problems section.